This is the National Stage Filing of PCT/EP99/01156 Filed on Feb. 23, 1999.
The present invention relates to the determination of polymerization/-coagulation in a fluid. More precisely, the invention relates to an analytical method of qualitative and optionally quantitative determination of the occurrence of polymerization/coagulation in a fluid containing polymerizable/-coagulable components.
Many processes, technical as well as biological, involve polymerization/-coagulation of polymerizable/coagulable components in a fluid. Examples of such technical processes include curing of paints, lacquers, and glues; production of industrial polymers; and thickening of sauces, custards, mousses, jellies and other food stuff. Examples of such biological processes include coagulation of blood, lymph and synovial fluid, curdling of milk and gelling of agar.
The occurrence of polymerization/coagulation in a fluid has traditionally been determined with methods based on changes in optical or rheological properties of the fluid. Changes in optical properties encompass all changes in how the fluid interacts with visible and infra-red electromagnetic radiation that pass through the fluid. Changes in rheological properties denote changes in the properties of the fluid, such as viscosity, elasticity etc. For a review of prior art methods for the determination of qualitative and quantitative occurrence of polymerization/-coagulation in a fluid, see e.g. G. Odian, Principles of polymerization, Wiley Interscience, New York.
Due to convenience, economy and/or ease of performance, optical methods are often preferred, except when rheological information is specifically required. Rheological methods are used when optical methods are difficult or impossible to perform, as is the case when the fluid has poor transparency for electromagnetic rays of the required wavelength.
Poor transparency may be due either to the presence of suspended particles that scatter the electromagnetic radiation which is beamed through the fluid, or to molecular structures that absorb this radiation. For example, optical determination of the occurrence of polymerization/coagulation is difficult or impossible to use in paints, blood and milk. These, and other important fluids, have poor transparency due to scattering and absorbing pigments, cells and/or lipids. Determination of the occurrence of polymerization/coagulation in such fluids may require the use of less convenient rheological methods. Alternatively, the suspended particles and absorbing molecular structures may be removed from the fluid prior to optical determination, but such removal reduces the convenience of the method and adds uncertainty to the determination.
There are also situations when polymerization/coagulation result in virtually no change in optical properties of the fluid. Such is the case for coagulation in blood plasma from individuals with fibrinogen that forms thin fibers. The same applies to formation of jellies and other food thickening processes that involve polymerization/coagulation of large carbohydrate molecules. In situations like these, optical methods may be difficult or impossible to use, and determination of polymerization/coagulation may need to be performed with more cumbersome rheological methods.
Evidently, there is a need for analytical methods for qualitative and optionally quantitative determination of the occurrence of polymerization/-coagulation in a fluid. Such methods should preferably be as convenient as the prior art optical methods but should be applicable also in fluids with poor transparency and for occurrences of polymerization/coagulation that give rise to no or insufficient changes in the optical properties of the fluid.
It has now surprisingly been found that polymerization/coagulation in a fluid, which may be poorly transparent, can be detected and measured by methods based on changes in the surface plasmon effects which appear when a beam of electromagnetic radiation passes an interface. The surface plasmon is a longitudinal or traverse magnetic (TM) charge-density wave propagating along the interface between the two media. The surface plasmons are particularly pronounced if the interface is between an electrical conductor and a dielectric. A spectacular feature is the appearance of a surface plasmon resonance; an increased energy transfer into the surface plasmon, when a beam of electromagnetic radiation, at a certain angle and under conditions for total reflection, hits the interface. This certain angle is referred to as the surface plasomon angle. An overview of the principles of surface plasmon resonance and details on how this phenomenon may be observed and used for studies of bimolecular binding reactions when one of the binding-partners is attached to the biosensor (metal) surface are given in Liedberg B. and Lundstrxc3x6m I., Principles of biosensing with an extended coupling matrix and surface plasmon resonance. Sensors and Actuators B. 11 (1993) 63-72, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention provides an analytical method of qualitative and optionally quantitative determination of the occurrence of polymerization/-coagulation in a fluid containing polymerizable/coagulable components.
A modified commercial instrument for determination of shifts in surface plasmon resonance angle was used in the experimental part of this description. When a drop of blood plasma was placed on the gold film of the instrument, relatively large effects corresponding to shifts of approximately 0.5 degrees in surface plasmon resonance angle accompanied the coagulation of the blood plasma. When the blood plasma was replaced by whole blood, similar effects were observed as the whole blood coagulated. Even larger shifts in the surface plasmon resonance angle were observed when an acryl amide dissolved in water polymerized.
The analytical method of the invention places small or no requirements on fluid volume, i.e. fluid volume size and precision in fluid transfer need not be of importance for the analytical result. This is because determinations are only effected by the fluid that is in contact with a (small) surface area and only by the fluid that is within a limited distance from this surface area. The (small) area in question is typically 1 xcexcm2 to 10 mm2 and the limited distance up to about 1 xcexcm.
The small requirements on sample volume may be an advantage in relation to the prior art optical and rheological methods which require that the fluid be in special containers, e.g. sample holders and cuvettes. This prior art requirement may be inconvenient or even hinder the determination. For example, in fluids of small volume or in fluids under severe conditions it may be difficult or impossible to properly fill the sample holder or cuvette. Examples of small-volume situations are polymerization/coagulation in a drop of blood or in a precious archeological samples. An example of severe-conditions situation is polymerization/-coagulation inside the high pressure and temperature polymerization reactor, e.g. in the production of polyethylene. On-line determinations, e.g. determinations inside flow through industrial reactors and inside the circulatory system are also difficult or impossible to perform with the prior art methods. The present invention enables determination of the occurrence of polymertzation/coagulation also in the above mentioned situations.
The present invention is in particular directed to an analytical method of qualitative and optionally quantitative determination of the occurrence of polymerization/coagulation in a fluid containing polymerizable/coagulable components, which comprises the steps of
a) initiating the polymerization/coagulation in the fluid,
b) bringing the fluid or a sample thereof into contact with a film of electrically conducting material on a support which is transparent for the electromagnetic radiation used and which is more optically dense than the fluid,
c) directing incident beams of electromagnetic radiation through the support, to the back of the film, at angles equal to or greater than the critical angle for total reflection,
d) measuring changes in the reflected beams due to changes in the surface plasmon resonance angle,
e) repeating the steps c) and d) at least once,
f) registering the occurrence and magnitude of the changes measured in d), and
g) correlating the occurrence and magnitude of changes with qualitative and optionally quantitative occurrence of polymerization/coagulation in the fluid.
The steps a), b), and c) may be performed simultaneously or in any alternative order prior to the measurement in step d).
Preferably, especially in an on-line situation, the step e) is performed continuously so that changes in the reflected beam due to changes in surface plasmon resonance angle is continuously registered. This can, for example as with the BIAlite instrument from Biacore AB, Uppsala, Sweden, allow recording of a sensogram plotting arbitrary resonance units against time. However, the measurement of e) may only be performed once, even though several measurements normally will be made. The term continuous could ,in this context, mean once every second, 10 times every second, 100 times every second or as many times per unit of time as is needed for good time resolution of qualitative and quantitative occurrence of polymerization/coagulation in the fluid.
Directing incident beams of electromagnetic radiation through the support, to the back of the film, at angles equal to or greater than the critical angle for total reflection, i.e. in the step c), can be performed in many different ways within the scope of the invention. The beams can be directed continuously or be directed in pulses. The beams can be parallel, convergent or divergent. The beams can illuminate a relatively large area on the back of the film or an area that is arbitrarily small. Parallel beams illuminating a very small area could be conceived as only one beam without departing from the spirit of the invention. The beams can be composed of electromagnetic radiation that is polarized, non-polarized, mono-chromatic or poly-chromatic, coherent, non-coherent or combinations of these properties. The wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation can vary widely. In many embodiments the wavelength is in range the 100 to 2000 nm and thus includes what is referred to as infrared, visible and ultraviolet light.
In situations where the fluid exhibits adsorption at some particular wavelength, it may be advantageous for the incident beams of electromagnetic radiation to be of this, or close to this, wavelength. A reason is, that the surface plasmon resonance may be stronger, i.e. a greater decrease in intensity of the reflected beam at the resonance angle, if the wavelength of the incident light coincides with absorption wavelength(s) of the fluid. Another reason is, that shifts in the surface plasmon resonance angle may be larger if the wavelength of the incident light coincides with the absorption wavelength of the fluid. For example, in analysis of polymerization/coagulation in blood, it may be advantageous to chose a wavelength for the incident electromagnetic radiation that coincides with one of the absorption wavelengths of the red blood cells. This could improve the analysis, by improving signal to noise ratio. The initiation, step a) of the method according to the invention, may in some applications be spontaneous. Particularly this is so when occurrance of spontaneous polymerization/coagulation is to be determined. In such instances, nothing is done in step a), but the subsequent steps of the invention are performed.
In other applications of the invention, the interest may reside in determining how various physical conditions in the fluid influence the qualitative and quantitative occurrence of polymerization/coagulation. The initiation, step a) of the method of the invention, will then consist in changing one or several such conditions. These conditions include, but are not limited to, temperature, pressure, ionic strength, pH and pe (activity of free electrons, a measure of the redox potential of the fluid).
The initiation, step a) of the method according to the invention, will in many applications be performed by the addition to the fluid of at least one initiator. The initiator induces a polymerization/coagulation of polymerizable/coagulable components in the fluid that would otherwise not occur, or will promote the polymerization/coagulation to occur much more rapidly than would otherwise be the case. Within the scope of the invention, it is conceived that one or several of these initiators are immobilized on or in some other way associated to the film of electrically conducting material that is mentioned in step b). The initiator or initiators immobilized or associated to the film will from this position directly or indirectly initiate the polymerization/coagulation of the fluid.
The fluid to be analyzed by the method of the invention can be of many different kinds. It can be a pure polymerizable/coagulable component as for example pure styrene, methyl methacrylate, vinyl chlorid, acryl amide or acrylic acid. The fluid may also be some organic or inorganic solvent, as for example acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, tetrahydrofuran, methyl chloride or water, in which polymerizable components such as styrene, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, acrylic acid, acryl amide and ethylene oxide are dissolved. The fluid can also be a technical fluid such as paint, lacquer, glue, thermosetting plastic or thermo-plastic, acryl amide or agarose. The fluid can further be a food stuff including sauces, custards, mousses, and jellies.
In some embodiments of the invention, the fluid is a biological fluid such as blood, blood plasma, milk, lymph, sperm and synovial fluid in which polymerizable/-coagulable components such as fibrinogen casein and thrombocytes are dissolved.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the biological fluid is blood or blood plasma. The blood or blood plasma may be mixed with at least one coagulation inhibitor and/or at least one coagulation initiator, whereby the effects of such additions on qualitative and optionally quantitative occurrence of coagulation can be determined. The effects of such additions on the qualitative and quantitative occurrence of coagulation may be of considerable laboratory diagnostic importance. The added coagulation inhibitor is e.g. selected from the group consisting of heparin, hirudin, anti-thrombin, tissue factor pathway inhibitor, C1-inhibitor and Ca2+ activity lowering agent. The added coagulation initiator is e.g. selected from the group consisting of negatively charged surfaces including silica and ellergic acid derivatives; phospholipids; thromboplastin; endothelial cells and cell membranes; thrombocytes and their cell membranes; monocytes and their cell membranes; and any required coagulation factor lacking from the fluid.
The use of specially prepared or collected blood and blood plasma, in which the occurrence of qualitative and optionally qualitative coagulation is altered due to low levels of certain initiator(s) and/or inhibitor(s), allows embodiments of the invention that indirectly determine these initiators(s) and/or inhibitors(s). Determination is accomplished by adding samples containing the initiator(s) and/or inhibitor(s) to the specially prepared or collected blood or blood plasma. Total or partial restoration of the altered quantitative and optionally quantitative occurrence of coagulation in the specially prepared blood or blood plasma, as determined by the invention, by the addition of sample containing the initiator(s)/inhibitor(s) in question will indirectly determine levels of the initiator(s) and/or inhibitor(s) in the sample.
In other embodiments of the invention, the fluid to be analyzed is a polymerization reaction fluid. The fluid may comprise polymerizable components of one or several different kinds as disclosed above. Examples of polymerization reaction fluids include paints, lacquers, glues, thermosetting plastics, thermoplastics, acryl amide, agarose, food stuff including sauces, custards, mousses, jellies and sugars.
The film of electrically conducting material, disclosed in step b) of the method of the invention, is composed of at least one member selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, aluminum and electrically conducting polymer.
Preferably the thickness of the film is between 10 and 1000 nm.
The film support, also disclosed in step b) of the method of the invention, is of glass or plastics and has the form of a plate, half sphere, half spherical rod, optical fiber, beaker, cuvette, test tube or reactor window.
The changes in the reflected beams due to changes in the surface plasmon resonance angle measured in step d) (and e)) of the method of the invention are selected from the group consisting of polarization changes in relation to the polarization of the incident beams, and intensity changes.
These changes are measured with an appropriate instrument such as the surface plasmon resonance apparatus supplied by Biacore AB, Uppsala, Sweden, the principles of which has been described by Liedberg B. and Lundstrxc3x6m I. (ibid.)
The invention will now be illustrated with reference to the description of experiments and the accompanied drawings, but it should be understood that the scope of protection is in no way limited to the experiments made.
FIG. 1 shows a diagram, so-called sensogram, of coagulation in a drop of whole blood, initiated by immobilized thromboplastin. The instrument response (shift in surface plasmon resonance angle) expressed in resonance units (RU) is plotted against time.
FIG. 2 shows a diagram, so-called sensogram, from which coagulation time can be determined for several samples with various thromboplastin levels. Each sample is mixed with citrated blood plasma and the coagulative reactions started by addition of calcium chloride solution the results show that thromboplastin levels in a sample can be determined by analysis according to the invention.
FIG. 3 shows a diagram, so-called sensogram, wherein a fluid containing acryl amide, a polymerizable component, is continuously monitored for qualitative and quantitative occurrence of polymerization.